Daniel Evans Announces Final Season as Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres

Daniel Evans today announces his final season as Sheffield Theatres' Artistic Director, including the eagerly anticipated news of the Crucible's Christmas show, Irving Berlin's whip-cracking musical Annie Get Your Gun. The season also includes two world premières on the Crucible stage - an adaptation of a classic novel and an exciting new musical set in Sheffield. A poignant moment in the city's history is told on the Studio stage along with a heart-warming family tale for the festive period.

The season opens in September with Folie à deux Productions and From Ground Up Theatre Company in association with Sheffield Theatres presenting Operation Crucible (Tue 6 - Sat 24 September) in the Studio. On 12 December 1940 a single bomb reduced the Marples Hotel, which stood proudly in Sheffield's Fitzalan Square, from seven storeys to just 15 feet of rubble. Only one of the ten compartments in the hotel's cellars withstood the blast. Within it, trapped, were four men. This highly acclaimed play tells their story, from beginning to end.

Sheffield Theatres continue their award-winning partnership with English Touring Theatre (Translations, Twelfth Night) from Wed 21 September - Sat 15 October with a brand new stage production of D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover. Banned in the UK until 1960, this tender story shows how three people, reeling from the aftermath of the Great War, struggle to survive in a world which has been blown apart. Passion, class, love and sexual freedom are at the heart of this modern classic, adapted and directed by Phillip Breen (York Mystery Plays 2016).

Saddle up this Christmas for the wildest of Wild West musicals - Annie Get Your Gun (Thu 8 December - Sat 14 January). Sharp shootin', smart talkin' Annie Oakley is a force to be reckoned with but when she's pitched against the charming, fiercely competitive Frank Butler, has she finally met her match? Paul Foster (Tell Me On A Sunday, Sweet Charity) directs Anna-Jane Casey (Company) soon to be seen in Flowers For Mrs Harris, as Annie. With whip-cracking choreography from Sheffield favourite Alistair David (Show Boat, Anything Goes) and classic songs from the Golden Age of Broadway including There's No Business Like Show Business, Anything You Can Do and I Got The Sun In The Morning Irving Berlin's magnificent musical promises fun for all the family.

Sheffield Theatres' festive season is completed with The Snow Child (Wed 14 December - Sat 7 January) a wintery tale full of warmth from Sheffield Theatres, Unicorn Theatre and Dancing Brick. This striking visual show with live music and enchanting puppetry is a vibrant and inventive retelling of a traditional folktale that will delight and charm audiences of all ages.

A coming-of-age story with a twist, Everybody's Talking About Jamie (Wed 8 - Sat 25 February) directed by Sheffield-born Jonathan Butterell, is a brand new musical with catchy new songs by The Feeling's lead singer-songwriter Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae. Jamie New is sixteen. He's from Sheffield. And he has a secret. He doesn't quite fit in at school. His Dad's left home. He's about to sit his GCSEs and the future is terrifying. With his brilliant mum behind him, will Jamie be brave enough to stand up for who he really wants to be?

The best in touring productions also visit the city with shows including the already announced End of the Rainbow (Thu 12 - Sat 14 May) and Chicago (Mon 6 - Sat 11 June) appearing on the Lyceum stage.

The Studio hosts some exhilarating and inspiring performances in the new season. On Saturday 21 May, Christopher Brett Bailey brings This Is How We Die, a spiralling odyssey of pitch-black humour and nightmarish prose. In Going Viral (Tue 24 May) an aeroplane flies from Uganda to England where everyone on board is weeping. Everyone except you. Is it a strange new disease? Or has the world become genuinely sad? Then attempt to unpick the truth from the fiction of power ballads in Late Night Love (Wed 1 June) and experience the power of words in Poetry Can F*ck Off (Thu 2 June). Ventoux (Fri 3 - Sat 4 June) tells the story of champions Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani - whose Tour de France battle of 2000, was the greatest cycling had ever seen, but just how far did they go to succeed? In Gods Are Fallen and All Safety Gone (Tue 7 June), two male actors explore the emotional and humorous dynamic of the relationship between a thirty-something daughter and her ageing mother.

Dance fans will enjoy a varied programme in the Lyceum Theatre, with Wayne McGregor's cutting-edge contemporary work Atomos (Sat 18 June), performed by ten incredible dancers in his unique style - sculptural, rigorous, jarring and hauntingly beautiful. While later in the year, Northern Ballet return with their modern production of Romeo & Juliet (Wed 14 - Sat 17 September), set to Prokofiev's stirring score.

Motown's greatest hits are celebrated in Dancing in the Streets at the Lyceum from Fri 3 - Sat 4 June and the music continues from Tue 26 September - Sat 1 October with the Broadway and West End smash hit Million Dollar Quartet, featuring songs from the legendary Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. Multi award-winning Sunny Afternoon (Tue 25 - Sat 29 October) follows the rise to fame of The Kinks, one of the most influential bands of the '60's and direct from the West End, Roddy Doyle's The Commitments celebrates soul classics including Knock On Wood and Try A Little Tenderness from Mon 21 - Sat 26 November.

Brand new live show Peppa Pig's Surprise brings family fun from Fri 9 - Sat 10 September. Fans of comedy will enjoy Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking (Mon 19 - Sat 24 September) starring Robert Powell and Lisa Goddard and Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical Cats will appeal to audiences of all ages from Mon 3 - Sat 15 October.

Artistic Director Daniel Evans said today, 'I'm delighted that my final season at Sheffield will combine new and classic plays and musicals. It's particularly edifying that two of our productions - a new adaptation of the classic novel, Lady Chatterley's Lover, and a brand new musical, Everybody's Talking About Jamie - will come to the stage after many years of development work. Our Christmas musical, which has become something of a tradition now in Sheffield, will also continue to thrive in the wonderful hands of director Paul Foster and choreographer Alistair David who this year will stage Annie Get Your Gun. We shall soon be announcing news of my successor, but in the meantime, I want to thank everyone at Sheffield Theatres - staff, partners and audiences - for the most joyful seven years.'

The new season will go on sale to Sheffield Theatres' Centre Stage Members on Saturday 12 March and on general sale from Saturday 19 March from 10.00am. For full details of the 2016 season, visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or call Box Office on 0114 249 6000.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Lisa Hawkins, Communications Officer (Media) Sheffield Theatres: 0114 201 3828

l.hawkins@sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Notes to Editors

Sheffield Theatres Listings

Crucible Lyceum Studio 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA

Box Office 0114 249 6000 - Mon - Sat 10.00am to 8.00pm

On non-performance days the Box Office closes at 6.00pm.

A transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office (excl. cash)

www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Folie à deux Productions and From Ground Up Theatre Company in association with Sheffield Theatres

Operation Crucible

By Kieron Knowles

Tuesday 6 - Saturday 24 September

Press night: Thursday 8 September 7.45pm

Director: Bryony Shanahan

A Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre Co-Production

Lady Chatterley's Lover

By D.H. Lawrence

Adapted by Phillip Breen

Wed 21 September - Sat 15 October

Press Night: Monday 26 September 7.00pm

Director: Phillip Breen

ENGLISH TOURING THEATRE

English Touring Theatre is one of the UK's most successful and exciting production companies, widely regarded as England's national theatre of touring.

Led by Director Rachel Tackley, the company works with leading artists to stage an eclectic mix of new and classic work for audiences throughout the UK and overseas; theatre that is thrilling, popular and, above all, entertaining.

Its critically acclaimed production of Peter Whelan's The Herbal Bed is currently touring the UK; with the first major stage production of Brideshead Revisited, adapted by Tony Award nominee Bryony Lavery and directed by Damian Cruden, beginning next month.

A Sheffield Theatres, Unicorn Theatre and Dancing Brick Co-Production

The Snow Child

Created by Valentine Ceschi and Thomas Eccleshare

Wed 14 December - Saturday 7 January

Press performance:

Designer: James Button

Live Music and Sound Designer: Harry Blake

Puppets and Puppetry: Matt Hutchinson

Lighting Designer: Phil Bentley

Illustrator: Paddy Malloy

Choreographer: Jennifer Fletcher

UNICORN THEATRE

THE UNICORN THEATRE

The Unicorn is the UK's leading professional theatre for young audiences, empowering them to explore the world - on their own terms - through theatre that is honest, refreshing and international in outlook. Firmly on the map as a leading producing theatre, the Unicorn has been described in The Guardian as having "the right to claim a place as one of our leading new-writing theatres" and has won a raft of national awards for the quality of its productions and programme.

The Unicorn Theatre was founded by Caryl Jenner in 1947 with a commitment to giving children a valuable and often first ever experience of quality theatre, and a philosophy that "the best of theatre for children should be judged on the same high standards of writing, directing, acting and design as the best of adult theatre." Today, the Unicorn is the national home of theatre for children and young people and is funded using public subsidy as an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation.

Artistic Director Purni Morell
Executive Director Anneliese Davidsen

Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes present

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs

By Paul Hendy

Fri 9 December - Sun 8 January

Press Night: Tuesday 13 December 7.00pm

A Sheffield Theatres Production

Irving Berlin's

Annie Get Your Gun

Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

Original Book by Dorothy and Herbert Fields

As Revised by Peter Stone

Thu 8 December - Sat 14 January

Press night: Wednesday 14 December 7.00pm

Director: Paul Foster

Choreographer: Alistair David

Presented by special arrangement with R & H Theatricals Europe: www.rnh.com

A Sheffield Theatres Production

Everybody's Talking About Jamie

A new musical by Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae

From an idea by Jonathan Butterell

Wed 8 February - Sat 25 February

Press night: Monday 27 June 7.45pm

Director: Jonathan Butterell

Tue 8 - Wed 9 Mar Iphigenia in Splott Studio Theatre

Wed 9 - Sat 12 Mar Gangsta Granny Lyceum Theatre

Thu 10 - Sat 26 Mar The Nap Crucible Theatre

Tue 15 - Sat 19 Mar Northern Ballet Swan Lake Lyceum Theatre

Wed 16 - Wed 23 Mar Connections 500 Studio Theatre

Tue 22 - Wed 23 Mar Into the Hoods: Remixed Lyceum Theatre

Wed 30 Mar FUSE Studio Theatre

Tue 29 Mar - Sat 2 Apr Thriller Live Lyceum Theatre

Mon 4 Apr ETO: Don Giovanni Lyceum Theatre

Tue 5 Apr ETO: Iphigenie en Tauride Lyceum Theatre

Thu 7 Apr Snooker Legends Crucible Theatre

Fri 8 Apr Sing-a-Long-a Dirty Dancing Lyceum Theatre

Sat 9 Apr Marvellous Imaginary Menagerie Lyceum Theatre

Tue 12 - Sat 16 Apr TOM. A Story of Tom Jones Lyceum Theatre

Tue 19 - Sat 23 Apr Guys and Dolls Lyceum Theatre

Tue 26 - Sat 30 Apr Alan Bennett's Single Spies Lyceum Theatre

Tue 3 May All Star Comedy Lyceum Theatre

Wed 4 May Suggs 'My Life Story in Words and Music

Lyceum Theatre

Sat 7 - Sun 8 May The James Plays Lyceum Theatre

Thu 12 - Sat 14 May End of the Rainbow Lyceum Theatre

Tue 17 - Sat 21 May Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty

Lyceum Theatre

Wed 18 May - Sat 4 Jun Flowers for Mrs Harris Crucible Theatre

Sat 21 May This Is How We Die Studio Theatre

Mon 23 - Sat 28 May Priscilla Queen of the Desert Lyceum Theatre

Tue 24 May Going Viral Studio Theatre

Tue 31 May - Sat Thu 2 Jun Aliens Love Underpants Lyceum Theatre

Wed 1 Jun Late Night Love Studio Theatre

Thu 2 Jun``````` Poetry Can F*ck Off Studio Theatre

Fri 3 - Sat 4 Jun Dancing In The Streets Lyceum Theatre

Fri 3 - Sat 4 Jun Ventoux Studio Theatre

Mon 6 - Sat 11 Jun Chicago Lyceum Theatre

Tue 7 Jun Gods Are Fallen And All Safety Gone

Studio Theatre

Fri 17 - Sat 25 Jun The Government Inspector Crucible Theatre

Sat 18 Jun Atomos Studio Theatre

Mon 20 - Sat 25 Jun Rocky Horror Show Lyceum Theatre

Thu 23 Jun - Sat 16 Jul Contractions Studio Theatre

Wed 29 Jun - Sat 17 Jul Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Lyceum Theatre

Wed 13 - Sat 16 Jul A Dream Crucible Theatre

Wed 20 - Sat 23 Jul Cuttin' It Studio Theatre

Tue 6 - Sat 24 Sep Operation Crucible Studio Theatre

Fri 9 - Sat 10 Sep Peppa Pig Lyceum Theatre

Wed 14 - Sat 17 Sep Romeo & Juliet Lyceum Theatre

Mon19 - Sat 24 Sep Relatively Speaking Lyceum Theatre

Wed 21 Sep - Sat 15 Oct Lady Chatterley's Lover Crucible Theatre

Tue 27 Sep - Sat 1 Oct Million Dollar Quartet Lyceum Theatre

Sat 1 - Sun 2 Oct Fun Palaces All venues

Mon 3 - Sat 15 Oct Cats Lyceum Theatre

Tue 25 - Sat 29 Oct Sunny Afternoon Lyceum Theatre

Mon21 - Sat 26 Nov The Commitments Lyceum Theatre

Thu 8 Dec - Sat 14 Jan Annie Get Your Gun Crucible Theatre

Fri 9 Dec - Sun 8 Jan Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs

Lyceum Theatre

Wed 14 Dec - Sat 7 Jan The Snow Child Studio Theatre

Wed 8 - Sat 25 Feb Everybody's Talking About Jamie

Crucible Theatre

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